ABS Payroll and Accounting Alternatives

Established in 1985, ABS Payroll and Accounting is a US-based entertainment payroll provider for small- to mid-sized film, television, commercial, and live event productions. Designed for smaller budgets, the software focuses on simplifying payroll administration rather than offering a fully integrated, end-to-end production accounting solution. While practical for smaller productions, it is more limited compared to larger platforms such as Entertainment Partners, Wrapbook, and Greenslate.

That said, the software has its share of complaints. Customers have reported consistent payroll delays, slow or inconvenient pay stub delivery, and a lack of pricing transparency, highlighting some dissatisfaction with ABS.

Considering ABS for your production? We’ve outlined its advantages and disadvantages and how it compares to other production accounting software in the industry.

ABS Payroll & Accounting Advantages

ABS’s software offers real-time cost reporting, multiple budget management per project, streamlined payroll integration, and fast importing and exporting features designed by producers, accountants, and film executives. Its intuitive interface, combined with live technical support, makes ABS a practical and reliable solution for small- to mid-sized productions seeking both payroll and accessible accounting tools.

ABS Payroll & Accounting Disadvantages

While ABS is the preferred solution for smaller productions, there are several key considerations when customers plan to choose the software. Many of its pain points are not addressed as of publication time.

Pricing and Budget Transparency

No clear pricing or rates online or on the website
Independent filmmakers and low-budget productions struggle with budgeting due to hidden costs
Lack of upfront transparency adds stress to tight financial planning

Payroll and Documentation Issues

Frequent payroll delays
Paystubs are often snail-mailed to the home address instead of being accessible on location
Delayed payroll or missing stubs disrupts workflow and delays post-production tasks

Production Suitability

Not designed for larger-budget entertainment projects that need a fully integrated or enterprise-level solution

Cast & Crew (PSL+) Alternatives

1. Cast & Crew (PSL+)

Cast & Crew’s PSL+ ecosystem provides a straightforward production accounting experience, with automation, expense management, and workflow integration that surpass ABS’s payroll-focused capabilities. PSL+ performs well for cost and budget tracking, PO and vendor management, expense management and payments, and centralized document workflow.

It excels at streamlining operations across the entire production cycle, particularly for larger or multi-location projects.

2. Greenslate

Greenslate excels in delivering modern, efficient, and user-friendly payroll and accounting solutions tailored to entertainment productions. Its app emphasizes integrated workflows, transparency, and support, giving it a strong advantage over ABS—particularly for producers and accounting professionals seeking streamlined, digital-first solutions. Users have noted that ABS feels fragmented, limiting its digital capabilities.

Greenslate is praised for its fully integrated end-to-end platform, managing everything from onboarding through post-production without toggling between tools or apps. Additional advantages over ABS include superior workflow efficiency, audit transparency, and reliable, responsive support.

3. Entertainment Partners

An industry staple, Entertainment Partners offers a fully integrated, cloud-based platform through SmartAccounting. SmartAccounting unifies budgeting, payroll, vendor payments, and reporting within a single ecosystem, featuring over 250 reporting templates. The platform also includes built-in carbon tracking to monitor environmental impact and a paperless crew onboarding solution via SmartStart, streamlining compliance and operational efficiency.

4. Wrapbook

Wrapbook is a true all-in-one platform, combining onboarding, timecards, payroll, production accounting, and more into a seamless system. ABS, by contrast, splits these functions across separate tools or requires manual integration.

Additional advantages Wrapbook has over ABS include on-demand payroll, union compliance, effortless timecard management, a digital paper trail, a user-friendly mobile app, and transparent pricing. Wrapbook offers a modern, efficient system that surpasses ABS in many areas. However, for those who need a personal paymaster or rely on traditional workflows via direct phone access, ABS remains the preferred solution.

Conclusion

While ABS Payroll and Accounting has established itself as a reliable provider for small- to mid-sized productions, it remains focused on streamlined payroll administration rather than a fully integrated production accounting ecosystem. This makes it practical for indie filmmakers and lower-budget projects, but less competitive against larger platforms offering more comprehensive tools.

However, ongoing issues with ABS have led customers to consider other alternatives until the software addresses these persistent problems.

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